January 22, 2024|י"ב שבט ה' אלפים תשפ"ד Moral Leadership after Darkness
Print ArticleShould I be surprised that our beloved country has been accused of genocide? Should I be surprised that now eleven US senators voted for a resolution from Bernie Sanders that would halt US security aid to Israel unless the State Department submits a report within 30 days on whether Israel has committed human rights violations in its war against Hamas? Should I be surprised that the UN along with many countries continue to criticize Israel for using disproportionate force in Gaza? Unfortunately, I don’t think that I should be surprised by any of this. After all, from the dawn of our national history we have been subject to both physical assaults and character assassinations. The ancient Egyptians didn’t merely enslave us. They dehumanized us. In Parshat Ki Tavo, when we retell the story of the exodus, we say, וירעו אותנו המצריים. Some may want to translate this verse as, “The Egyptians did bad to us.” But that’s not what the Torah states. It does not say, וירעו לנו המצריים, meaning that they did bad to us. It says, וירעו אותנו המצריים. They made us bad. They dehumanized us. We were evil in their eyes so it only makes sense from their perspective to enslave us.
But then God steps in and wears the Egyptians down plague by plague until the point when they are about to free us. Yes, they decide to free us as a way to escape any further punishment. But the Torah tells us something else. The Torah tells us וַיִּתֵּ֧ן יְקֹוָ֛ק אֶת־חֵ֥ן הָעָ֖ם בְּעֵינֵ֣י מִצְרָ֑יִם גַּ֣ם׀ הָאִ֣ישׁ מֹשֶׁ֗ה גָּד֤וֹל מְאֹד֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּעֵינֵ֥י עַבְדֵֽי־פַרְעֹ֖ה וּבְעֵינֵ֥י הָעָֽם. God allowed the people to find favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. Moreover, Moshe himself was much esteemed in the land among Pharaoh’s servants and among the people.
Why were the people respected? Why was Moshe held in such high esteem? Was it a miracle or was it something else? Let me tell you the story of the dog. There was a husband, his wife and a dog. The wife loved the dog, but the husband hated the dog. He really hated the dog so much that he decided to get rid of the dog. One day, when his wife left the house for the day, the husband took the dog in his car and decided that he was going to drive away to a distant location, drop the dog off, and return and tell his wife that the dog ran away. He took the dog in his car, drove far away, dropped the dog off and drove home. He reaches his driveway only to find his dog wagging its tail in the driveway. Obviously very frustrated, he picks the dog up, drives twice the distance from his home, drops the dog off, thinking that there’s no way that the dog will find its way home. He drives home, only to find his dog wagging its tail in the driveway. The husband is now beside himself. He puts the dog in the car and drives very far away, over a bridge, through a tunnel, over the state line, until he reaches a place in the middle of nowhere. He drops the dog off, certain that there’s no way that the dog will find its way back. The problem was that these were the days before Waze, before Garmin and before GPS. So, of course, the husband got lost. He couldn’t find his way home. Finally, after circling around for about an hour, he calls his wife. His wife answers the phone. The husband says, “Hi honey, are you home?” She says, “Yes, is everything ok?” The husband responds, “Is the dog home?” She says, “Yes.” He says, “Put the dog on the phone. I’m lost and I need directions.”
The Egyptians dehumanized us. They saw us as dogs, as less than human. Then came the plague of darkness. Rav Hirsch explains very beautifully that for three days, the Egyptians could not see and for another three days, they could neither see nor move. Picture the scene: a thick, impenetrable darkness enveloping the land of Egypt. In this profound moment, the Bnei Yisrael found themselves with an extraordinary ability – to see and move freely while the Egyptians were shrouded in complete darkness. The tables had turned, and the oppressed had an opportunity to retaliate against their oppressors. However, what transpired next is a testament to the strength of the Hebrew spirit. Despite the years of mistreatment and injustice, the Bnei Yisrael chose a path less traveled. Instead of using this moment to exact revenge on the Egyptians who couldn't see them, they demonstrated a remarkable act of restraint and compassion.
The Egyptians expected that the Bnei Yisrael would kill them or torture them or pillage their homes during the plague of darkness, but the Bnei Yisrael did nothing of the sort. That is why after the plague of darkness, וַיִּתֵּ֧ן יְקֹוָ֛ק אֶת־חֵ֥ן הָעָ֖ם בְּעֵינֵ֣י מִצְרָ֑יִם, the Egyptians had a newfound respect for the Bnei Yisrael. For years they thought we were dogs, but now they were asking us for moral direction.
This is not just our ancestors in Egypt thousands of years ago. This is our fate and this is our destiny now. The nations of the world will try to dehumanize us, they will try to beat us into submission, but ultimately, וַיִּתֵּ֧ן יְקֹוָ֛ק אֶת־חֵ֥ן הָעָ֖ם בְּעֵינֵ֣י מִצְרָ֑יִם – we will find favor in their eyes. We will gain their respect. And we have. Yes, eleven senators voted for Bernie Sanders’ resolution, but the overwhelming majority of senators stand with Israel. There are countries that accuse us of genocide, but many countries have come to our defense. I know it’s difficult now, but after this war is over, I truly believe that the nations of the world who stand for peace and security will celebrate what we have done in this war by eliminating a terror group that is threat to basic moral values.
But the Torah speaks not only about the reputation, prestige and standing of the people in general. The Torah also speaks about Jewish leadership. גַּ֣ם הָאִ֣ישׁ מֹשֶׁ֗ה גָּד֤וֹל מְאֹד֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּעֵינֵ֥י עַבְדֵֽי־פַרְעֹ֖ה וּבְעֵינֵ֥י הָעָֽם – Moshe was viewed with respect now in the eyes of Pharaoh’s servants and in the eyes of the people. A Jewish leader who follows an ethical and moral path will be respected by all.
Yes, we currently are witnessing unfounded criticism of the State of Israel. But we are also witnessing the rise of the leadership of the religious Zionist community and the elevation of their stature as being the bridge between those who support Torah and those who support the state of Israel. Unfortunately, so many of those soldiers killed in Gaza have been religious Zionist Jews, young men who demonstrate that it is possible to pick up a gun and defend the state and also be a Talmud Chacham and someone who studies Torah and observes halacha at the highest level.
I was listening to a podcast where one of the guests was Rav Yosef Rimon, Rav of Gush Etzion and someone who has been answering so many difficult and inspiring questions from soldiers and their families. One soldier asked Rav Rimon if he was allowed to daven because he went many days without having water with which to wash his hands and the halacha is that you must wash your hands before davening. Can he still daven even without having water? And the soldier wasn’t looking for a leniency. He wanted to daven. Without getting into details, Rav Rimon paskened that he could daven if there was no water available. A wife of a soldier called up Rav Rimon and told him that she just found out that she was pregnant and she was asked if she could share this wonderful news with her husband who is on the front lines now. The halacha is that a soldier is not supposed to think about his family when he is in battle because that might distract him from his mission. On the other hand, the couple was trying to have a baby for some time now and she wanted to share the wonderful news with her husband. Rav Rimon paskened that if she informed her husband in a way that wouldn’t make him worry more – just to share the news in a positive manner and say that, with God’s help, everything will be ok – then that would be permitted. Can you imagine these kind of halachic questions as a time of war? So many soldiers in the IDF care deeply about God, Torah and halacha and care deeply about Am Yisrael so much so that they view it as a privilege to put their lives on the line to protect the Jewish people. These are our leaders and during this war they have been earning the respect of both charedim the majority of whom do not serve in the IDF, and the secular Israelis, who don’t observe Torah and mitzvot.
So, yes, it can be very frustrating to continue to witness the attempt to dehumanize us, but the message of the plague of darkness and its aftermath is a promise that there will come a time when the nations of the world will turn to us for moral direction. And Baruch Hashem, this crisis has been a time when our religious Zionist community has inspired us all. I hope and pray that we will continue to witness this type of leadership in the State of Israel, a leadership committed to Am Yisrael, Eretz Yisrael and Torat Yisrael.